Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have reportedly demanded new titles after rejecting the “private citizens” label. Upon their arrival in Britain, there was much confusion about how the Sussexes should be treated. In order to put an end to the confusion, King Charles issued a letter reinforcing the guidelines of the Sandringham Agreement. This means that Meghan and Harry are no longer working royals. Plus, they cannot use HRH, and cannot maintain a “half-in, half-out” royal role. The letter reportedly left the Sussexes unhappy, as they want to be referred to as “public figures.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reportedly prefer the term ‘public figures’ amid title debate
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry would reportedly prefer to be called “public figures” instead of “private citizens.” The news comes after the Palace issued a letter of “guidance” on behalf of King Charles. The guidelines confirmed that even though the couple is back in Britain, they are not working royals. Moreover, they cannot use HRH and would be treated as “private citizens.”
The letter also read, “The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.”
All in all, the Sussexes can continue doing charitable work or pursuing private endeavors. However, they cannot represent the Crown while doing so. A report by the Daily Mail suggests that Harry and Markle were unhappy with how the Palace handled the letter. They were reportedly given the letter only a little over an hour before it was going to be released. Hence, they did not get enough time to clarify a few points in the letter.
In particular, they allegedly did not agree with being treated as “private citizens” rather than members of the Royal Family. The Palace, however, maintained that the letter was in line with the “Sandringham Summit” agreement of 2020. Moreover, Harry and Markle themselves had wanted to be “private citizens while in the UK,” which is consistent with the guidance outlined in the letter.
But Harry reportedly argued that if they were indeed private citizens, there was no need for the Palace to issue a formal letter specifying how they should be treated. Apparently, they would prefer the term “public figures.” They also would have liked an acknowledgment that they are members of the Royal Family, even though they no longer receive public funding.
